The invention relates to a retractable roof for a vehicle, the retractable roof being made up of a plurality of rigid roof elements that are movable between a position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a position in which they are stowed inside the rear trunk of the vehicle.
Such a retractable roof makes it possible to transform a vehicle of the sedan/saloon type or of the coupe type into a vehicle of the convertible/cabriolet type.
It is known, in particular from Document FR A 2 820 692, that a retractable roof for a vehicle can be made up of a plurality of rigid roof elements that are movable between a position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a position in which they are stowed inside the rear trunk of the vehicle, said roof elements being connected together and to the front and rear portions of the bodywork by locking means when they cover the passenger compartment, said locking means being controlled by a first rod driven in rotation by an electric motor, the first rod and the motor being received in a roof element.
In that document the motor drives the locking elements positively both during unlocking and during locking. That motor must therefore be of relatively high power.